Unilever, one of the world’s leading suppliers of beauty and personal care, home care, and foods and refreshment products, has announced a wide-ranging set of commitments and actions to help build a more equitable and inclusive society by raising living standards across its value chain, creating opportunities through inclusivity, and preparing people for the future of work.
Unilever’s main commitments include ensuring that everyone who directly provides goods and services to the company earns at least a living wage or income by 2030; spending €2 billion annually with suppliers owned and managed by people from under-represented groups by 2025; and pioneering new employment models for its employees and equipping 10m young people with essential skills to prepare them for job opportunities by 2030.
“The two biggest threats that the world currently faces are climate change and social inequality. The past year has undoubtedly widened the social divide, and decisive and collective action is needed to build a society that helps to improve livelihoods, embraces diversity, nurtures talent, and offers opportunities for everyone,” said Alan Jope, Unilever CEO.
“We believe the actions we are committing to will make Unilever a better, stronger business, ready for the huge societal changes we are experiencing today – changes that will only accelerate. Without a healthy society, there cannot be a healthy business,” Jope said.
Unilever’s ambition is to improve living standards for low-paid workers worldwide. The company will therefore ensure that everyone who directly provides goods and services to them earns at least a living wage or income by 2030. The company already pays its employees a living wage, and it wants to secure the same for more people beyond its workforce, specifically focusing on the most vulnerable workers in manufacturing and agriculture.
In addition to improving living standards through economic inclusion, Unilever is also critical about creating more opportunities for people from under-represented groups – both within and outside of the organisation. Diversity in the workplace directly results in improved financial performance through its capacity to foster innovation, creativity, and empathy.
“As we help to build a more equitable and inclusive society, we recognise that changes to the world of work will affect the employment prospects of many people,” Jope said.
“Many current ways of working – roles, places, hours, skills – are rapidly evolving. We have a responsibility to generate and sustain employability, by preparing our employees and other people beyond our organisation for the societal and technological changes that are taking place,” he said.
Beyond its immediate organisation, Unilever plans to help equip 10m young people with essential skills to prepare them for job opportunities by 2030.
“By investing in skills-building and providing work experience opportunities for young people, we will drive growth, and accelerate digital capabilities, building expertise and increasing productivity,” Jope said.
